Iran is not attacking houses to search for the statue. It is just preventing this from spreading.

I am not saying they are.

But the Iranian Government intervening this way is religious intolerance. This is not religious freedom. I don't know why or how you don't see this.
Perhaps you have been immersed in this particular lack of freedom for too long.

What if under new leadership the Government decided to remove the Black Stone (The Kaaba)? To "prevent Islam from spreading". Would this be okay
with you? If not, why not?

Originally posted by mideast
So , Iranian govt is stopping people from worshiping idols.

It's none of their business what the people worship.
IF they were to follow the laws on their own books, then there is freedom of religion.
If people wanted to worship the buddha statues .. they should be allowed to
under that law.

BTW .. Buddhists don't 'worship statues'. That's absurd.
And people who are using them for decoration aren't worshipping them either.
Even if they were .. it would be their right under the law to do so.

Originally posted by mideast
But haters want to find their own ways.

Says the person who just said this ...

Originally posted by mideast
But I am sure in the country where you live they just allow the most ignorant to access the internet.

Originally posted by yuppa
In Iran there is only a certain amount of people allowed to use the internet. They have to be of the party faithful or be heavily monitored. Also they
tend to go along and check after them to make sure they are not speaking badly against the homeland as well.

We have had Iranian agents on this site before. It was VERY obvious. They plastered this site with pro-Iranian anti-Jewish/American propaganda
straight from the Iranian high command. It was all easily debunked because we have FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, whereas the people in Iran do not. That's
probably why the Iranian government doesn't let people in Iran have freedom of the internet .. they'll find out the truth about things that their
government is lying about ... and the government is probably afraid that they'll download pictures of buddha or something.

Much the same as the fact that people in Iran apparently really dont' have freedom of religion even though the laws on the books say that they do.
This is a case in point .. that the government of Iran is 'cleansing' buddha statues out of Tehran. It's ironic that the government of Iran is
afraid of tiny little statues that people put in their homes.

Originally posted by mideast
I said that Moses did the same thing. Both Christians and Jews believe in him.

That was 4,000 years ago. This is 2013.
People should be able to decorate their homes any way they wish.
People should be able to worship any way they wish.
People shouldn't have to put up with strangulation by a backward government that is afraid of statues.
People should expect their government to follow the laws that state there is religious freedom.

Iran is not attacking houses to search for the statue. It is just preventing this from spreading.

1 - Iran beats up children and throw them in jail for using banned squirt guns. How long do you think it'll be before Iran decides to beat up and
throw in jail those who have little buddha statues in their homes? It's a totalitarian government.

2 - There is no need to 'prevent the spreading' of buddha statues. It's not like they are leprosy or a disease. They are just little statues
that people like to use for worship and/or for decoration. If the use of them 'spreads' .. so what? Fads come and fads go. It's no big deal and
it hurts no one.

Iran is not attacking houses to search for the statue. It is just preventing this from spreading.

I am not saying they are.

But the Iranian Government intervening this way is religious intolerance. This is not religious freedom. I don't know why or how you don't see this.
Perhaps you have been immersed in this particular lack of freedom for too long.

What if under new leadership the Government decided to remove the Black Stone (The Kaaba)? To "prevent Islam from spreading". Would this be okay
with you? If not, why not?

I wasn't threatening , I was reminding you.

You can do what ever you want but you can not tell what my government must do. My people should tell it.

I wouldn't worry about it buddy, all we seem to have here are racists who cannot respect the laws and religious views of another culture. They
actually believe that their views are superior to everyone elses and they are 100% accurate in everything they see, hear and do whether its blowing up
children in Iraq, Droning innocents at a wedding in Northern Pakistan or building nuclear weapons and then starving women and children because another
country wants nuclear energy.

I understand no government is perfect but what these people don't understand is that no religious freedoms are being trampled upon here. Buddhism is
not being attacked in Iran because no Buddhists are buying the statues, Muslims are. I see where Iran is coming from when it comes to Idols. If people
don't like what they are doing, I'm sure they have the freedom to move to Myanmar or something where religious freedoms are of the highest standard
in the world. Maybe Saudi Arabia will allow Buddha states and they can all move their if its sucj a crime against humanity

I wouldn't worry about it buddy, all we seem to have here are racists who cannot respect the laws and religious views of another culture. They
actually believe that their views are superior to everyone elses and they are 100% accurate in everything they see, hear and do whether its blowing up
children in Iraq, Droning innocents at a wedding in Northern Pakistan or building nuclear weapons and then starving women and children because another
country wants nuclear energy.

I understand no government is perfect but what these people don't understand is that no religious freedoms are being trampled upon here. Buddhism is
not being attacked in Iran because no Buddhists are buying the statues, Muslims are. I see where Iran is coming from when it comes to Idols. If people
don't like what they are doing, I'm sure they have the freedom to move to Myanmar or something where religious freedoms are of the highest standard
in the world. Maybe Saudi Arabia will allow Buddha states and they can all move their if its such a crime against humanity

I can understand why someone like Flyersfan would bring this to our attention and I respect that.. But I also understand why Iran would do this also.
If the Article read something like "Iran kicking Buddhist doors down and taking statues, Lashing as punishment etc" then I would likely agree with
what some are saying but because this isn't the case and Buddhists are not being persecuted in that country (I don't even know if Buddhists are in
Iran), I don't see what the big deal is here.

Originally posted by DarknStormy
all we seem to have here are racists who cannot respect the laws and religious views of another culture.

The hallmark of someone failing in a discussion. The race card.
Dude .. Islam isn't a race.

It's the government of Iran itself that is not respecting the laws of Iran. The 'culture' of Iran is that the people of Tehran want these little
buddhist statues. The government of Iran isn't respecting the culture as it changes .. it isn't respecting the wishes of the people ... it isn't
respecting the laws of the land.

The hallmark of someone failing in a discussion. The race card.
Dude .. Islam isn't a race.

I didn't say Islam was a race.. And you failed when you started this thread because you cannot accept that other countries do follow their religion
whether you like it or not.

It's the government of Iran itself that is not respecting the laws of Iran. The 'culture' of Iran is that the people of Tehran want these
little buddhist statues. The government of Iran isn't respecting the culture as it changes .. it isn't respecting the wishes of the people ... it
isn't respecting the laws of the land.

How do you know? Maybe you should send me a link to the laws in Iran. In all of this its one thing I have failed to see you show evidence for.. If you
know all about the laws in Iran, show me what the hell you are talking about and then show me why it affects the confiscation of Buddhas.

Article 13 [Recognized Religious Minorities] Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities, who,
within the limits of the law, are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal
affairs and religious education.

Article 14 [Non-Muslims' Rights] In accordance with the sacred verse "God does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with those who have not
fought against you because of your religion and who have not expelled you from your homes" [60:8], the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and
all Muslims are duty-bound to treat non-Muslims in conformity with ethical norms and the principles of Islamic justice and equity, and to respect
their human rights. This principle applies to all who refrain from engaging in conspiracy or activity against Islam and the Islamic Republic of
Iran.

Article 23 [Freedom of Belief] The investigation of individuals' beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for
holding a certain belief.

Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews and are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies, and to act according to their own canon in matters of
personal affairs and religious education. Other non Muslims are to be treated with respect. Freedom of Belief ... investigation of individuals
beliefs (be they Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist .. whatever) is FORBIDDEN and no one may be molested.

Taking away harmless little statues of buddha is molestation.

Muslims (whatever branch of Islam they belong to) are to be accorded full respect, and their followers are free to act in accordance with their own
jurisprudence when it comes to religious matters. So if a Muslim wants to have a buddha statue as a decoration, that's up to their own jurisprudence
....

the participation of the entire people in determining their political, economic, social, and cultural destiny;

I take it this is the part your talking about? If the people were so worried about the confiscation of Buddhas, don't you think they would excercise
their right to protest peacefully? That is their right also.

Article 27
Unarmed assemblies and marches may be freely organized, provided that no violation of the foundations of Islam is involved.

Oh and I guess you will pull the 2009 protest card in defence of what I just said also, yeah? But I guess this sort of information just slips past
everyones guard.

The clashes in Enghelab Square came as Iranian state
television reported that a bomb had exploded at the Tehran shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - the father of the country's Islamic revolution -
wounding two people, an act that could be used to justify a wider crackdown. Reports of the bombing could not be independently confirmed. Last week
Iranian authorities said they had uncovered plans to bomb mosques during the election period.

Up to 10 people have been killed and scores of reformists have been arrested since the protests began. Authorities have also cracked down on foreign
and domestic media.

So I guess its ok to condemn the Iranian government for cracking down especially after protesters planned to bomb Mosques across the country.. If you
refer to the law about protesting, you will find that these protesters lost their right to protest after becoming violent and by law, the aauthorities
in Iran had every right to crackdown on those people, just like a Western government would do the same in a similar situation. But no doubt, the bombs
are just damage control and Iranian protesters are never violent.

Article 13 does not recognise Buddhism as a religion and therefore I do not see how Religious freedoms are being suppressed by the confiscation of
Buddhas. If the Iranian constitution only recognises Judaism, Christianity and Islam as religion, how can you say that they are denying people the
right of religion when it is well known that the Buddhas are only being used as ornaments? If they feel the need to confiscate them (for what ever
reason it may be and whether we like it or not), thats their choice.

From a religious perspective, Article 14 is only following up on 13 and doesn't recognise Buddhism as a religion.

As for Article 23, what believes are they talking about? Religious beliefs or man made ways of life? Being a strict religious country, I'm sure they
are talking about religion.

I find it laughable that you, this whole time, argue against Iran oppressing Buddhism....yet when you finally bother to read the LAWS of the country
you discover that Buddhism isn't a recognised religion in Iran.

The laws are perfectly understandable. Be you Islamic, Zoroastrian (an interesting inclusion, I must admit), Christian or Jew, you are free to
practice your religion....but any other religion is NOT free to practice in Iran...

Now, the law still protects peoples BELIEFS. So in other words, you can believe in whatever you want without persecution from the government BUT the
moment you start to PRACTICE it, including owning and worshipping the idols of that religion you have then offended the law.

In other words, Buddhists should give up their idols or face persecution, as it is law. If not then they should leave the country. That is the Iranian
law, I live in Australia and I expect to be punished for breaking the laws here, so why should it be any different their.

I'm curious, though, why they were even able to buy the statues in the first place? Strange.

I wouldn't worry about it buddy, all we seem to have here are racists who cannot respect the laws and religious views of another culture. They
actually believe that their views are superior to everyone elses and they are 100% accurate in everything they see

I see we are going in the direction of hyperbole and absurdity.

Such is your prerogative. I would have preferred a discussion.

As for Article 23, what believes are they talking about? Religious beliefs or man made ways of life? Being a strict religious country, I'm
sure they are talking about religion.

From what I am reading in Iran it's Mahāyāna Buddhism. Granted it looks like Buddhism in general is more underground (wonder why). Pure Land
is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism, and it looks like it might be the type they believe. I don't know how you define a religion, but a mere "way of
life" hardly encapsulates the extent of their beliefs.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't 'recognize it as a religion'. That has more to do with the fact they are an Islamic country, and not because
they were objective in their analysis. I also wouldn't be surprised if this kind of religious discrimination is not against their Law..

Apparently it's not okay to some of you that foreigners would voice their dissent. Too bad. That doesn't make me racist, or disrespectful. We are
sharing thoughts, not forcing their hand.

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